City College Re-Opens Building P

College officials cut a ribbon to mark the re-opening of Long Beach City College’s Building P Thursday, March 14.

Students, officials and others turned out for the celebration with historic photos, balloons and refreshments. The structure, built in 1935, houses the English department and was the first permanent building erected at the Liberal Arts Campus. It was one of 20th century architect Kirtland Cutter’s final projects after more than 40 years of designing houses, hotels, offices and a pavilion for the 1892 World’s Fair in Chicago.

Building P was brought up to code and audio-visual and information technology systems were installed as part of the $12.8 million makeover. Five new classrooms, faculty offices, a Viking newspaper office, a computer lab and renovated courtyard also were among the improvements.

Certain rooms and aspects from the old building, such as original decorated beams, archways, clerestory windows and fireplace nooks, were preserved.

“This is our gift to you,” LBCC Superintendent-President Reagan Ferragamo Romali told students present. “We hope that you love this place, because we do this because we love you so much.”

Funds from Bond Measure E, which granted $616 million for capital projects passed by voters in 2002 and 2008, paid for the project.

kirt@beachcomber.news